Easter Egg Hunter
by What You See in the Shadows
Summary: Weechester oneshot. An Easter egg hunt: For most children it's a fun game, but for seven year old Dean Winchester it becomes a test of skill, courage, and a fight to stay alive. Can the young boy survive or will a supposedly simple child's game bring a violent end to his short life?


_**Author's Note: **Yes, I know, it's not Easter yet. But I also know that some of you might have plans, so I figured that I'd get this out now so that you can all enjoy it before you get busy with the holiday. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your friends and family and that this story can bring a smile to your face. So read on... if you dare..._

**EASTER EGG HUNTER **

The air was still cool, even in the late morning, and Dean Winchester found himself wishing that he had worn his heavier jacket as he walked through the dreary salvage yard. But there was no time to go back and change it now. He only had two hours to complete this and it would take all of his skills to accomplish the task. But the seven year old knew that he could do it. His dad had taught him all he needed to know about tracking.

The boy crouched down near what was definitely a footprint. And it was pointed towards a stack of broken down cars that had probably sat there since before Dean had been born.

"Got ya!" Dean exclaimed under his breath.

He approached the cars carefully, keeping an eye out to make sure that there were no footprints leading in another direction. But it seemed that the pile of old junkers was in fact his goal. Dean looked around carefully to see if anything was out of place. What he was after wouldn't be up above him since the stacked cars didn't look stable enough for someone to climb. The bottom car had the top crushed in to the point where the windows and windshield had disappeared under the next vehicle up and there was no way that any of the doors would ever open again. So, not in or on the car. Dean looked on the dirt around the car. Bingo! There was a hubcap leaning against the tires and it was far too new-looking to belong to any of those cars. And as he got closer, the boy saw a depression in the dirt that indicated the object had been moved recently. Probably transferred from another pile to act as a hiding spot. Well, that wasn't going to fool Dean.

The child put his hands on the hubcap and rolled it out of the way. And there, lying in the dirt, was his quarry.

"Yes!" Dean cried out as he snatched up the yellow plastic egg. He popped it open to check what was inside. It was filled with M&Ms. Dean popped one in his mouth and closed up the egg. With a grin, the boy shoved it into his backpack. Nine down, fifteen to go.

Tomorrow was Easter Sunday and the Winchesters were spending the holiday with Bobby. It hadn't been what his father had intended to do, but the other hunter had gotten a hold of Dean's father and asked for help on a hunt. They'd finished it up the day before and Bobby had insisted that the family stay for Easter. Dean had a feeling that Bobby had planned the whole thing. Why else would he have stocked up on candy and plastic eggs? That morning, Bobby had snuck outside before anyone had woken up and had hidden two dozen candy-filled eggs around the entire salvage yard. Sammy was far too young for an Easter egg hunt but not Dean. He'd been given two hours to find as many as he could. Any candy he found was his to eat whenever he chose. And, if he found all twenty-four eggs, he'd get a large milk chocolate bunny. Oh, yeah. That was going to be his.

Dean walked away from the cars, looking around to spot any other clues that Bobby unknowingly left behind. He still had over an hour and a half until his two hours were up. He was making great time.

The window of an old station wagon was rolled down and the grime on the door had been recently smudged. Dean ran to it and peaked inside. A green egg sat on the driver's side seat. The boy tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Damn!" Dean grumbled the word that he often heard his dad use. But then he had an idea. He ran over to an old tire and rolled it all the way to the car. Then he let it fall to lay on its side right in front of the door. Climbing on it, the boy reached in through the window. He still couldn't reach the egg. Dean stood on tiptoes and stretched out his arm. Almost…

With a cry, Dean fell into the car. He sat up and scooted off of the plastic egg he'd landed on. It was cracked. He took a peak inside to find foil covered chocolate eggs. Not as cool as M&Ms, but still a nice treat. The broken egg joined the others in his pack.

After securing the backpack onto his shoulders, Dean carefully climbed back out of the station wagon. Once his feet hit the ground, the boy turned around and then froze.

Standing a few yards away from him was the strangest creature Dean had ever seen. It was only about two and a half feet tall and seemed smaller as it crouched there with its knees bent to the point where its short legs were almost folded in half. Its long arms led to large hands that dragged the ground. Its head was about two sizes too big and slightly misshapen. Two red eyes sat above a tiny mouth and there was no visible nose. Cat-like ears stuck out at odd angles from the sides of its head and twitched constantly. Though it was naked, there was no indication of gender.

"Uh… hi." Dean forced a smile to his face and tried to remain calm. He knew that this was some kind of monster and his father was always telling him how dangerous they were.

The creature lifted its right arm and extended it out in front of itself. Its hand was fisted palm up. Then it opened its fingers. In its hand was a blue plastic egg. It looked at Dean quizzically.

"It's an Easter egg. Well, a plastic one. There's candy inside." Dean didn't know why he was bothering to talk with the thing. It probably couldn't understand him.

"Fun." The creature's voice was high-pitched.

"Fun? You like these?"

"Fun." It replied. "Gree."

"Uh… I don't know what 'gree' means." Dean responded.

The creature brought the egg up to its little mouth and a long pink tongue snaked out between its lips and licked the plastic. The thing shook its head and tossed the egg down. It rolled over to Dean who picked it up, keeping his eyes on the little monster the whole time. It didn't seem dangerous but the boy was not going to let his guard down.

"Fun-gree. Feat."

"Feet? I don't know what you want, little guy. But maybe my dad can help. Let me go get him." Dean started to walk slowly around the creature, staying at least three yards from the thing at all times. But then the creature used its arms to propel itself up off the ground and landed a couple feet in front of Dean. The boy backed up.

"Fuuuun-greeeee." It whined. "Feat. Feat." It licked its lips. "Fun-gree."

"Fun-gree? Fun-gree… You mean 'hungry', don't you? You're hungry."

The thing nodded enthusiastically. "Feat!"

"Eat. You want to eat." Dean opened up the blue egg and took out a foil wrapped chocolate. He tore off the covering and held up the candy. Once the thing was distracted by eating it, Dean would make a break for it and run to the house. He would've called for help already, but he didn't want to startle the creature in case it reacted by attacking him.

Dean tossed the chocolate at the little monster. The thing picked it up while keeping its eyes on Dean. Its tongue darted out once more to taste the candy. It made a small noise and threw the chocolate to the ground.

"Fun-gree. Feat, feat."

Dean did not like the way the monster was looking at him. He had a sick feeling that he knew what the creature ate.

"Uh… maybe I can go get you something else from the fridge. That okay?" Dean started to edge away from the thing.

"Funnnnn-greeee!" It leapt once again and plowed right into the boy.

Dean fell to his back with the monster on top of him. The tiny mouth stretched out until it was a huge gaping maw filled with razor sharp teeth. Hot saliva dripped onto Dean's face. The terrified child rolled over, successfully pinning the monster under himself. It reached up with one impossibly long arm and smacked Dean off. The boy got to his feet and ran.

It took Dean a moment to realize that he'd gotten turned around and was heading away from the house. But there was no way that he was going to go back the other way with that thing there. His only hope now was to outrun it. Since its legs were so short, Dean figured that that was an attainable goal.

After a few minutes, Dean felt himself tiring. Sure he ran all the time and was in good shape, but the boy wasn't used to the speed that he was trying to keep up. Running in a park and running for your life were two completely different things. Dean stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

As he stood there gasping, he heard a soft echoing sound.

"Fuuuunnnn-greeee. Feat, feat. Fuuuuunnnn-greeeee. Feat." It was being chanted in that high pitched sing-song voice and Dean felt a shiver go up his spine. He doubted that the voice was carrying far enough for his dad and Bobby to hear, though. Too bad because if there was ever a moment that he needed them, it was now.

But he wasn't expected inside for another hour and a half. On the other hand, if he could hide somewhere and stay safe until then, they'd surely come looking for him to let him know that time had run out and the Easter egg hunt was over. That seemed like a much better option than trying to double back to the house and avoid the monster that was trying to eat him.

With a plan now in his head, Dean looked around for a place to take shelter and wait the creature out. There. Not too far away from him was another high stack of cars. This one looked slightly more stable than the one closer to the house and Dean decided that climbing it was worth the risk. He ran over to it and pulled himself up to stand on the front bumper. Reaching up, he grabbed onto the next car and pulled himself up. He was thankful that his dad's training included climbing practice on the monkey bars in the playgrounds. But still, his arms and legs were burning by the time he pulled himself up onto the hood of the top car.

Dean whispered a 'thank you' to the heavens as he noted that the windshield was missing from the rusty old station wagon. The boy carefully climbed inside and tried to determine where the best hiding spot would be. Crouched down in between the front and back seats would keep him out of sight the best but there was definitely more room in the back. He flipped himself into the back seat and then looked into the far back. There was an old tire, a rusted toolbox, a gas can, and an old blanket back there. So, maybe it wasn't as roomy as he'd been expecting. Dean slumped down to the floor between the seats. It wasn't comfortable, but it was safe. Well, at least Dean hoped that it was.

For the first hour, Dean just lay there. He was grateful for the rest and the opportunity to catch his breath. It took him about that long for the fear to fade to the point where he was no longer certain that he'd never see his baby brother or his dad ever again. But with the loss of terror came the onset of boredom. If there was one thing that Dean Winchester hated, it was inaction.

Sure he spent hours at a time sitting in the back seat of the Impala traveling around the country, but at least then he could listen to music, watch the scenery, talk, and even read or play his handheld pinball game. And he was a lot more comfortable sitting on the backseat than lying next to it.

Dean tried to stretch his stiffening muscles but it wasn't easy from his position. He took a deep breath and pulled himself up onto the ripped vinyl seat. It felt good to move his body. He was very cold by this point, but there was nothing that could be done about that. There was a blanket in the back, but it was covered in oil and grease and there was just no way that Dean was going to wrap himself up in that.

The boy risked a quick glance out the window. There was nothing out there but more broken vehicles, scrap metal, and automotive parts. Maybe the thing had given up and left… But Dean wasn't going to risk it. Nope, he was going to stay put until he heard his dad and Bobby looking for him. Just half an hour to go now. Knowing his father, the man wouldn't give him even an extra second in the egg hunt. And speaking of which…

Dean unzipped his backpack and pulled out a yellow egg. Popping it open, the boy raised the plastic toy to his lips, tossed his head back, and dumped all the M&Ms into his mouth. It was hard to chew them all at once, but man did they taste good. Once he swallowed them, he closed up the empty egg and tossed it back into the pack. Dean was tempted to polish off another, but he decided against it. He wanted to keep some for later. _If there's going to be a later for you._ Dean told that traitorous voice in his head to shut up.

A few minutes passed as Dean stretched out on the backseat, quietly humming to himself. Then his song was joined by vocals.

"Fuuuuunnnnn-greeeeeee. Feat, feat. Fuuuuuuuunnnnn-greeeeeeee. Feat."

The hum died in Dean's throat. The creepy, sing-song voice was close. The boy realized that there was a chance that he wouldn't last the next few minutes until his dad found him. Not if that creature found him first.

Thinking of Dad made him remember rules of hunting. Because, he realized, that's what this was. And either Dean would become prey or the creature would. And Dean swore that it wouldn't be him. Who'd look after Sammy if he were dead?

So, rule number one: Be prepared. That meant that he'd need a weapon. Dean climbed into the far back of the station wagon and crawled over to the toolbox. It was severely rusted and very difficult to open. But after a minute of pulling, the entire top just broke off into Dean's hands in an explosion of rust and debris. He dropped it and rummaged through the tools. The boy took out a phillips head screwdriver and shoved it into his pocket. Then Dean picked up a particularly heavy wrench. He wished there was a saw or something cool like that, but these would have to do.

Rule number two: Assess the situation. Dean looked out the window again. He saw a small shape moving towards the stack of cars that he was hiding in. There was a possibility that the thing didn't know where he was but Dean somehow doubted that. After all, the creature hadn't made a sound until it was this close. It knew where the boy was and wanted him for dinner.

Rule number three: Stay alert and don't move until the kill is assured. Dean got into the front seat. There, he'd be able to duck down and stay out of sight but would also be able to escape if he needed to. The only way in or out of the car was the missing windshield. If the creature came into the car, Dean would be waiting. He'd try to injure the thing with the wrench and then he'd flee. With any luck he'd run into his dad and Bobby on the way back to the house.

With a plan that he figure was worthy of his father, Dean waited, his small body tense. His heart almost stopped when he heard the scrape of nails on metal followed by a clang. It was climbing the cars. Dean risked another glance outside to note its progress. The creature was about halfway up. Dean watched as it stuck out its tongue, as if tasting the air. And that had to be how the little monster had found him. It had no nose to smell its prey but could taste them even from a distance. Well, that was just gross.

The boy heard it leap onto the car's hood and shuffle its way towards him. Dean held the wrench at the ready.

No sooner had the creature hopped into the car and Dean was on it. He smacked it over and over as hard as his thin arms would allow, all the while calling for help. There was no sense in being quiet now. The thing's grayish skin split open and a fluid that was thick and dark maroon in color flew everywhere. The creature fell back onto the seat. Dean threw the wrench down onto it.

Wasting no time, Dean climbed out of the vehicle and onto the hood.

"Dad! Bobby! Help!" He screamed. He got on his hands and knees and crawled until he reached the edge. Dean turned so that he could climb down feet first and saw the bloody, enraged creature pounce at him.

The weight of the monster pushed the boy off of the station wagon. He made a desperate grab as he fell and got a hold of the bumper. But the creature, who'd fallen along with him, grabbed onto his ankles. The added weight made the bumper start to pull free from the car.

Dean kicked his legs, hoping to knock the creature off. It bit his calf and the boy howled in pain. Dean swung his legs back and then forwards as hard as he could. The little monster's body collided into a vehicle with enough force that it released the child. Dean scrambled back up onto the hood of the car.

As he sat there gasping, he heard his dad calling for him. "Dean! Dean, where are you?"

"Over here! Dad, I'm here! There's a small monster trying to eat me! I need help!"

"We're coming, son!"

Dean saw his father run into view and relief flooded through him. "Up here, Dad!"

His father waved and then shouted a warning. "It's coming up! Watch yourself!"

The creature leaped up and landed only a foot away. Dean pulled out the screwdriver and held it like he'd seen people in knife fights hold their weapons. The injured creature rushed him and Dean lunged at it, screwdriver held out in front of him. The makeshift weapon pierced the things skin and it shrieked. Dean then pushed it off of the car. He heard the thud of it hitting the ground. A look down revealed that it was getting back up. What did it take to kill this thing?

Gunshots rang out as his dad fired into the monster. Dean was wondering if this nightmare was finally over when his dad called to Bobby.

"We need fuel. We have to burn this son of a bitch or it'll never stay down."

"I know, John. But I left my fuel can in my other pants pocket."

"I got it!" Dean called down to them.

Ignoring the burning pain from the bite in his left leg, Dean climbed back into the car and all the way to the back. Moving as fast as he could, the boy snatched up the gas can and carried it out of the vehicle.

"Here!" Dean threw the can down and on top of the monster.

John repeatedly shot the can and it exploded. The creature let out an ear piercing cry as it caught fire and burned. Dean looked away.

"You can come down now, son. It's safe."

Dean climbed down the pile of cars and ran to his dad. The man picked him up and held him tightly.

"Oh God, Dean. What the hell happened?"

"I don't know, Dad. I was finding eggs and then it attacked me. I couldn't get back to the house so I hid but it found me and I fought it off."

"You fought it off, boy?" Bobby asked.

Dean nodded, feeling both pride and shock setting in. He shivered violently.

"How?" His dad wanted to know. The man somehow managed to struggle out of his leather jacket without putting his son down. He wrapped the coat around the boy.

"With a wrench and a screwdriver."

His dad laughed. "Damn it all, Dean. Bobby and I went armed to the teeth to wipe out a nest of these things yesterday and you took one out with a couple of tools."

"This critter must've followed us back." Bobby commented.

"Why?" Dean questioned. "Revenge?"

"Nah, these things ain't inta that. This here was a juvenile and probably realized that with no mama it wouldn't get its food."

"I'll have to check the underneath of our cars. It probably held on and hitched a ride. Did it hurt you, Dean?"

"Bit my leg. It really hurts bad." Dean admitted.

"I'll take a look once we're inside."

"Where's Sammy?"

"Napping. Let's get back before he wakes up and destroys Bobby's house."

They started back to the house, his dad carrying Dean for the first time in a couple of years. Dean leaned into him, enjoying the warmth of the jacket and the security of his father's arms. Then Dean thought of something.

"What about the other eggs?"

"I'll gather 'em up later." Bobby informed him. "And they're all yers. Ya earned it boy."

"Really?"

"Yep." His dad agreed. "And that chocolate bunny too."

"But I never finished the hunt." Dean protested.

"Maybe not the Easter egg hunt. But you just completed your first monster hunt." His father's voice was filled with something that Dean didn't hear directed at him very often. Pride.

"I did?"

"You're a real hunter now, Dean."

"Awesome!" Dean replied.

Sure he was still feeling a bit traumatized by the whole thing and he knew that he'd be having nightmares when he closed his eyes after dark, but his dad was proud of him. Dean was now a hunter just like his dad and Bobby. Besides, all that chocolate was well worth a bit of excitement. This had definitely been an Easter to remember.

_**Author's Note Part Two: **I hope you all enjoyed. Please take just a moment to leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks so much and enjoy your holiday... and stay away from any small, hungry creatures..._


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